MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

‘Falklands Sea’ could fall hostage to South Korea/Japan sea names dispute

Waters between Korean peninsula and Japan are the Sea of Japan of the East Sea (Wikipedia)

South Korea is considering using the Argentine name for waters around the British-Overseas Territory Falkland Islands, in retaliation for Britain's refusal to use Seoul's name for the sea off the east of the Korean peninsula, according to Seoul newspaper reports

The JoongAng Ilbo said that Seoul may start calling the Falklands Sea, which is near the Falkland Islands and some 500 km east of Argentina, the “Malvinas Sea”- tacitly recognising both Britain and Argentina's claims to the waters. The paper said the move appeared to be in response to Britain's resistance to use the name the “East Sea”.

Seoul has been trying to persuade the international community to use both “East Sea” and “Sea of Japan” to refer to the waters between Korean peninsula and Japan. Most countries call it the “Sea of Japan”.

“So far, we have marked it as the Falklands Sea, considering it British territory,” a government official told the JoongAng Ilbo. “But given that the sovereignty dispute between the UK and Argentina is not ending, and is actually escalating, we are positively reviewing the simultaneous use of Malvinas Sea.”

The Falkland Islands are a sensitive issue in London and in Buenos Aires. Argentina invaded the Islands in April 1982 and 74 days later they were recovered by a British task force sent by then PM Margaret Thatcher.